Arkansas

State

Add Comparison

2019 Population

3.02M

0.132% 1-year growth

US Senator

John Boozman

Republican Party

US Senator

Tom Cotton

Republican Party

2019 Median Age

38.8

1.84% 1-year increase

2019 Poverty Rate

17%

3.02% 1-year decrease

2019 Median Household Income

$48,952

4.02% 1-year growth

2019 Median Property Value

$136,200

2.33% 1-year growth

2019 Employed Population

1.27M

3.25% 1-year growth

About

In 2019, Arkansas had a population of 3.02M people with a median age of 38.8 and a median household income of $48,952. Between 2018 and 2019 the population of Arkansas grew from 3.01M to 3.02M, a 0.132% increase and its median household income grew from $47,062 to $48,952, a 4.02% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Arkansas are White (Non-Hispanic) (72%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (15.4%), White (Hispanic) (4.74%), Other (Hispanic) (2.4%), and Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (2.36%). 0% of the households in Arkansas speak a non-English language at home as their primary language.

96.8% of the residents in Arkansas are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Arkansas are University of Arkansas (7,181 degrees awarded in 2020), Arkansas State University-Main Campus (4,750 degrees), and Arkansas Tech University (4,072 degrees).

In 2019, the median property value in Arkansas was $136,200, and the homeownership rate was 65.5%. Most people in Arkansas drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 21.2 minutes. The average car ownership in Arkansas was 2 cars per household.

Arkansas borders Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas.

Photo by Jack Gray

United States

Diversity

Arkansas is home to a population of 3.02M people, from which 96.8% are citizens. As of 2019, 4.81% of Arkansas residents were born outside of the country (145k people).

In 2019, there were 4.67 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (2.17M people) in Arkansas than any other race or ethnicity. There were 465k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 143k White (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Arkansas

White (Non-Hispanic)
2.17M ± 1.25k
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
465k ± 5.95k
White (Hispanic)
143k ± 9.06k

7.69%

Hispanic Population

232k people

7.69% of the people in Arkansas are hispanic (232k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Arkansas as a share of the total population.

Heritage

Foreign-Born Population

4.81%

2019 Foreign-Born Population

145k people

4.73%

2018 Foreign-Born Population

142k people

As of 2019, 4.81% of Arkansas residents (145k people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.7%. In 2018, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Arkansas was 4.73%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Arkansas compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Age by Nativity

Median Native-Born Age

± 0.3

Median Foreign-Born Age

± 1.1

In 2019, the median age of all people in Arkansas was 38.8. Native-born citizens, with a median age of 39, were generally younger than foreign-born citizens, with a median age of 40. But people in Arkansas are getting getting older. In 2018, the average age of all Arkansas residents was 38.

Global Diversity

Most Common Origin

Mexico
63,715 ± 6,131 people
El Salvador
16,368 ± 3,133 people
India
11,149 ± 2,588 people

In 2019, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Arkansas was Mexico, the natal country of 63,715 Arkansas residents, followed by El Salvador with 16,368 and India with 11,149.

Citizenship

96.8%

2019 Citizenship

96.9%

2018 Citizenship

As of 2019, 96.8% of Arkansas residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2018, the percentage of US citizens in Arkansas was 96.9%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Arkansas compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
67,179 ± 3,669
Gulf War (2001-)
40,383 ± 3,745
Gulf War (1990s)
26,962 ± 2,932

Arkansas has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.66 times greater than any other conflict.

COVID-19

Daily New Cases by Date

Hospitalization data for some states may be delayed or not reported.

Y-Axis

This chart shows the number of COVID-19 daily new cases by date in Arkansas, as a 7-day rolling average, compared with the four states with the most similar number of confirmed cases.

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Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Arkansas.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Arkansas (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Arkansas.

Y-Axis

8.45%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between May 2020 and May 2021

As of May 2021, there are 145M people employed in Arkansas. This represents a 8.45% increase in employment when compared to May 2020.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Arkansas.

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Community Mobility

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Arkansas.

This chart presents movement trends over time in the state of Arkansas across different categories of places such as retail and recreation, groceries and pharmacies, parks, transit stations, workplaces, and residential.

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Economy

Median household income in Arkansas is $48,952. In 2019, the county with the highest Median Household Income in Arkansas was Benton County, AR with a value of $69,130, followed by Saline County, AR and Lonoke County, AR, with respective values of $66,327 and $62,532.

Males in Arkansas have an average income that is 1.35 times higher than the average income of females, which is $42,470. The income inequality in Arkansas (measured using the Gini index) is 0.45, which is lower than than the national average.

The economy of Arkansas employs 1.27M people. The largest industries in Arkansas are Elementary & secondary schools (84,009 people), Construction (80,863 people), and Restaurants & Food Services (80,099 people), and the highest paying industries are Specialty food stores ($131,688), Spectator sports ($127,038), and Air transportation ($100,755).

Wages

Median Household Income

$48,952

2019 value

± $863

4.02%

1 Year Growth

± 2.23%

Households in Arkansas have a median annual income of $48,952, which is less than the median annual income of $65,712 across the entire United States. This is in comparison to a median income of $47,062 in 2018, which represents a 4.02% annual growth.

The following chart shows how the median household income in Arkansas compares to that of its neighboring and parent geographies.

Wage by Sex in Common Jobs

$57,356

Average Male Salary in Arkansas

± $1,988

$42,470

Average Female Salary in Arkansas

± $1,371

In 2019, full-time male employees in Arkansas made 1.35 times more than female employees.

This chart shows the sex-based wage disparity in the 5 most common occupations in Arkansas by number of full-time employees.

Wage by Race and Ethnicity in Common Jobs

Highest Average Salaries by Race & Ethnicity in Arkansas

American Indian and Alaska Native tribes specified; or American Indian or Alaska Native, not specified and no other races
$66,531 ± $51,831
Asian
$57,646 ± $8,149
White
$46,868 ± $1,329

In 2019 the highest paid race/ethnicity of Arkansas workers was American Indian and Alaska Native tribes specified; or American Indian or Alaska Native, not specified and no other races. These workers were paid 1.15 times more than Asian workers, who made the second highest salary of any race/ethnicity in Arkansas.

This chart shows the race- and ethnicity-based wage disparities in the 5 most common occupations in Arkansas by number of full-time employees.

Wage Distribution

0.45

2019 Wage GINI in Arkansas

0.452

2018 Wage GINI in Arkansas

In 2019, the income inequality in Arkansas was 0.45 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.417% decline from 2018 to 2019, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Arkansas was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Arkansas in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Arkansas across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

In 2019, the county with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Arkansas was Benton County, AR with a value of $69,130, followed by Saline County, AR and Lonoke County, AR, with respective values of $66,327 and $62,532.

The following map shows all of the counties in Arkansas colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Poverty by Age and Sex

Females 25 - 34

Largest Demographic Living in Poverty

17% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Arkansas (496k out of 2.91M people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.3%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Females 35 - 44.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Poverty by Race and Ethnicity

Largest Race or Ethnicity Living in Poverty

White
314,927 ± 4,037
Black
128,197 ± 2,782
Hispanic
56,288 ± 1,832

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Arkansas is White, followed by Black and Hispanic.

Occupations

Employment by Occupations

1.27M

2019 Value

3.25%

1 Year growth

± 3.25%

From 2018 to 2019, employment in Arkansas grew at a rate of 3.25%, from 1.23M employees to 1.27M employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Arkansas, are Driver/sales workers & truck drivers (45,615 people), Registered nurses (31,933 people), and Firstline supervisors of retail sales workers (29,319 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Arkansas.

Most Common

The most common jobs held by residents of Arkansas, by number of employees, are Driver/sales workers & truck drivers (45,615 people), Registered nurses (31,933 people), and Firstline supervisors of retail sales workers (29,319 people).

Most Specialized

Compared to other states, Arkansas has an unusually high number of residents working as Logging workers (7.72 times higher than expected), Paper goods machine setters, operators, & tenders (7.12 times), and Tire builders (7.03 times).

Highest Paid

The highest paid jobs held by residents of Arkansas, by average salary, are Miscellaneous health technologists & technicians ($275,567), Dentists ($243,050), and Physicians ($229,054).

Industries

Employment by Industries

1.27M

2019 Value

3.25%

1 Year growth

± 3.25%

From 2018 to 2019, employment in Arkansas grew at a rate of 3.25%, from 1.23M employees to 1.27M employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Arkansas, are Elementary & secondary schools (84,009 people), Construction (80,863 people), and Restaurants & Food Services (80,099 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Arkansas, though some of these residents may live in Arkansas and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Most Common

The most common industries in Arkansas, by number of employees, are Elementary & secondary schools (84,009 people), Construction (80,863 people), and Restaurants & Food Services (80,099 people).

Most Specialized

Compared to other states, Arkansas has an unusually high number of Animal slaughtering & processing (9.96 times higher than expected), Not specified metal industries (8.93 times), and Logging (7.99 times) industries.

Highest Paying

The highest paying industries in Arkansas, by average salary, are Specialty food stores ($131,688), Spectator sports ($127,038), and Air transportation ($100,755).

Domestic Trade

Domestic Production & Consumption

Domestic production and consumption consists of products and services shipped from Arkansas to other states, or from other states to Arkansas.

Top Domestic Production in Dollars

In 2020, the top outbound Arkansas product (by dollars) was Mixed freight with $14.2B, followed by Meat/seafood ($13.7B) and Coal-n.e.c. ($9.55B).

The following chart shows the share of these products in relation to all outbound Arkansas products.

Domestic Trade Growth

Showing data for Arkansas.

$144B

2020 Value in Arkansas

$271B

Projected 2050 Value in Arkansas

87.8% growth

In 2020, total outbound Arkansas trade was $144B. This is expected to increase 87.8% to $271B by 2050.

The following chart shows how the domestic outbound Arkansas trade is projected to change in comparison to its neighboring states.

Interstate Trade

Interstate trade consists of products and services shipped from Arkansas to other states, or from other states to Arkansas.

Most Common Trade Partners

Texas
$11.8B
Mississippi
$6.92B
Oklahoma
$5.91B

In 2020, the top outbound Arkansas domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was Texas with $11.8B, followed by Mississippi with $6.92B and Oklahoma and $5.91B.

The following map shows the amount of trade that Arkansas shares with each state (excluding itself).

Civics

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Arkansas went to Donald J. Trump with 62.4% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (34.8%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.08%). The most partisan county was Searcy County, AR with 83.7% of the vote going to Donald J. Trump running for the Republican Party.

John Boozman and Tom Cotton are the senators currently representing the state of Arkansas. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Arkansas is currently represented by 4 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

2020 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (62.4%)
Republican Party
Joseph R Biden Jr. (34.8%)
Democratic Party
Jo Jorgensen (1.08%)
Libertarian Party

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Arkansas went to Donald J. Trump with 62.4% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (34.8%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (1.08%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Arkansas for each registered party from 1976 to 2020.

Presidential Popular Vote by County

Donald J. Trump

Popular Vote for Arkansas

62.4% for the Republican Party

Most Partisan Counties in Arkansas

Searcy County, AR
83.7% for Donald J. Trump (Republican Party)
Scott County, AR
83.4% for Donald J. Trump (Republican Party)
Pike County, AR
82.9% for Donald J. Trump (Republican Party)

In the 2020 presidential election, the most partisan county in Arkansas was Searcy County, AR with 83.7% of the vote going to Donald J. Trump running for the Republican Party.

The following map shows the counties in Arkansas colored by their party leaning.

US Senators from Arkansas

John Boozman

Senator from Arkansas

Assumed office on January 3, 2011

Tom Cotton

Senator from Arkansas

Assumed office on January 3, 2015

John Boozman and Tom Cotton are the senators currently representing Arkansas.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Arkansas over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representatives from Arkansas

Arkansas is currently represented by 4 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Arkansas have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

In 2020, universities in Arkansas awarded 50,309 degrees. The student population of Arkansas is skewed towards women, with 59,999 male students and 91,584 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Arkansas are White (35,196 and 72.1%), followed by Black or African American (7,051 and 14.5%), Hispanic or Latino (3,433 and 7.04%), and Two or More Races (1,465 and 3%).

The largest universities in Arkansas by number of degrees awarded are University of Arkansas (7,181 and 14.3%), Arkansas State University-Main Campus (4,750 and 9.44%), and Arkansas Tech University (4,072 and 8.09%).

The most popular majors in Arkansas are Liberal Arts & Sciences (3,894 and 7.74%), General Studies (3,643 and 7.24%), and Registered Nursing (2,807 and 5.58%).

The median tuition costs in Arkansas are $17,100 for private four year colleges, and $5,664 and $11,418 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Concentrations

Most Common

Registered Nursing
1,335 degree-majorss awarded
General Psychology
886 degree-majorss awarded
General Business Administration & Management
872 degree-majorss awarded

In 2020, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Arkansas was Registered Nursing with 1,335 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Arkansas according to their major.

Universities

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

University of Arkansas
7,181 degrees awarded
Arkansas State University-Main Campus
4,750 degrees awarded
Arkansas Tech University
4,072 degrees awarded

$5,664

Median In-State Public

$17,100

Median Private

In 2020, the Arkansas institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of Arkansas with 7,181 degrees awarded.

Student Sex for Common Institutions

19,708

Degrees Awarded to Men

30,601

Degrees Awarded to Women

In 2020, 19,708 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Arkansas, which is 0.644 times less than the 30,601 female students who received degrees in the same year.

This chart displays the sex disparity between the institutions in Arkansas by degrees awarded.

Student Race and Ethnicity

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity

White
35,196 degrees awarded
Black or African American
7,051 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino
3,433 degrees awarded

In 2020 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions in Arkansas was White students. These 35,196 degrees mean that there were 4.99 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 7,051 degrees awarded.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Arkansas was $136,200 in 2019, which is 0.566 times smaller than the national average of $240,500. Between 2018 and 2019 the median property value increased from $133,100 to $136,200, a 2.33% increase. The homeownership rate in Arkansas is 65.5%, which is higher than the national average of 64.1%. People in Arkansas have an average commute time of 21.2 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Arkansas is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property Value

$136,200

2019 Median

± $2,039

$133,100

2018 Median

± $2,166

In 2019, the median property value in Arkansas grew to to $136,200 from the previous year's value of $133,100.

The following charts display, first, the property values in Arkansas compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies and, second, owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property value buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Arkansas the largest share of households have a property value in the $100k - $125k range.

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$48,952

Median Household Income

± $863

1.16M

Number of Households

± 18,247

In 2019, the median household income of the 1.16M households in Arkansas grew to $48,952 from the previous year's value of $47,062.

The following chart displays the households in Arkansas distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Property Taxes

< $800

Average Range

This chart shows the households in Arkansas distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Arkansas the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

Rent vs Own

65.5%

2019 Homeownership

65.8%

2018 Homeownership

In 2019, 65.5% of the housing units in Arkansas were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 65.8%.

This percentage of owner-occupation is higher than the national average of 64.1%. This chart shows the ownership percentage in Arkansas compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Commute Time

21.2 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Arkansas have a shorter commute time (21.2 minutes) than the normal US worker (26 minutes). Additionally, 1.83% of the workforce in Arkansas have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Arkansas compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2019

Drove Alone (82.4%)
Carpooled (10.7%)
Worked At Home (3.52%)

In 2019, 82.4% of workers in Arkansas drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (10.7%) and those who worked at home (3.52%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Transportation

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Arkansas distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Arkansas have 2 cars, followed by false.

Health

90.9% of the population of Arkansas has health coverage, with 40.2% on employee plans, 23.2% on Medicaid, 12.9% on Medicare, 12.4% on non-group plans, and 2.15% on military or VA plans.

Per capita personal health care spending in Arkansas was $7,408 in 2014. This is a 6.91% increase from the previous year ($6,929).

Primary care physicians in Arkansas see 1507 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.333% increase from the previous year (1502 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2103 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 423 patients per year.

Comparing across all counties in the state, Jackson County has the highest prevalence of diabetes (28.8%). Additionally, St. Francis County has the highest prevalence of adult obesity (48.2%)

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,507 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Arkansas

Primary care physicians in Arkansas see an average of 1,507 patients per year. This represents a 0.333% increase from the previous year (1,502 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Arkansas in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Behavioral Health Conditions

Data only available at the state level.

State with the Highest Prevalence

West Virginia
8.26% of the population affected
Arkansas
8.13% of the population affected
New Hampshire
7.98% of the population affected

In 2016, West Virginia had the highest prevalence of adults with major depressive episode, with 8.26% of the population affected. The second highest is Arkansas (8.13%), followed by New Hampshire (7.98%).

The following map shows the percent of individuals with major depressive episode by state over multiple years.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Access and Quality

Data only available at state level.

Most prevalent states

Mississippi
19.2% of adults
Texas
17.9% of adults
Louisiana
17.6% of adults

In 2016, Mississippi had the highest prevalence of adults who haven't seen a doctor in the past 12 months due to cost, at 19.2%. It is followed by Texas (17.9%) and Louisiana (17.6%).

The following map shows the prevalence of adults who haven't seen a doctor in the past 12 months due to cost by state over multiple years.

Health Care Spending

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Arkansas.

$7,408

Total Per Capita Spending on Personal Health Care in Arkansas

$3,906

Per Enrollee Private Health Insurance Spending on Personal Health Care

$6,108

Per Enrollee Medicaid Spending on Personal Health Care

$9,479

Per Enrollee Medicare Spending on Personal Health Care

Between 2013 and 2014, all personal health care spending per capita in Arkansas (including private, Medicare, and Medicaid) grew 6.91%, from $6,929 to $7,408.

The following chart shows how this spending changed over time in comparison to Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance spending, per enrollee.

Health Care Coverage

9.15%

Uninsured

40.2%

Employer Coverage

23.2%

Medicaid

12.9%

Medicare

12.4%

Non-Group

2.15%

Military or VA

Between 2018 and 2019, the percent of uninsured citizens in Arkansas grew by 11.2% from 8.23% to 9.15%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Arkansas changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.